Trial initiates for suspect implicated in fatal jewelry store shooting.

In the Saint-Hyacinthe courthouse, the trial of Marc-André Houle is underway. Houle is accused of a series of violent events that occurred on August 11, 2021, at the Galeries St-Hyacinthe shopping centre.

The accused is facing four charges: murder, attempted murder, assault, and fleeing in a vehicle. The charges stem from a string of attacks that resulted in the death of Manon Savoie, 54, and an assault on an 86-year-old woman.

The violent events began inside the shopping centre, where Houle allegedly took two large knives from a Centre du rasoir. He then attacked an employee of the shopping centre, causing a struggle that left the employee on the ground.

Shortly after, Houle allegedly stabbed Savoie in a nearby jewelry store without warning. She was later declared dead at the hospital. In addition, Houle is accused of attacking an 86-year-old woman, pushing her to the ground and striking her several times. A knife blade was found nearby.

The trial is expected to last several weeks and will involve many witnesses, including police officers, shopping center customers who witnessed the attacks, and experts such as a pathologist, radiologist, and DNA specialist biologist. Judge Hélène Di Salvo has appointed M. Laurence Juillet as amicus curiae (friend of the court) to assist the accused, who is representing himself in the trial.

Judge Di Salvo has advised the jurors that they cannot draw any conclusions from the appointed assistants and their roles. M. Catherine Perreault has been appointed to protect the fairness of the trial, and she will cross-examine certain Crown witnesses.

The police chase ended in Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur, and during the chase, Houle allegedly stole a moving truck used for a delivery. The trial will involve several weeks of hearings, with testimony from experts, including the pathologist who performed the autopsy, a radiologist who will report on the fracture the octogenarian may have suffered, and a DNA specialist biologist.

The Crown prosecutor must prove all the elements of the offenses in court, and the trial will not be influenced by the appointed assistants and their roles. As the trial unfolds, the community awaits the verdict in this tragic case.